"Just some upgrades to my home system. You know how it is, living alone in the middle of nowhere. I wanted better peace of mind."
"Smart thinking," Becky said approvingly. "I had to upgrade my place last year after some journalist started coming around too often. You can’t be too careful."
But Doug wasn't paying attention to Becky's story. His eyes were fixed on the minimal space between Willow and Casper, his expression growing more puzzled and, if Casper was reading him correctly, slightly territorial.
"I thought bodyguards were supposed to stay in the background." Doug’s words were directed at Casper, but his tone suggested he was really addressing Willow. "You know, blend into the crowd, maintain professional distance."
Casper felt his jaw tighten at the implicit criticism, but before he could respond, Willow's voice cut through the tension with firm clarity.
"Casper is my security specialist. More than that, he's become a friend." Her tone brooked no argument, and she met Doug's gaze steadily. "A good friend who I trust completely."
Doug held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, but Casper caught the flash that crossed his features before he managed to school his expression.
"Hey, no judgment here." Doug smiled. "I just worry about you sometimes, that's all. Remember when we used to talk about how weird it was that everyone wanted something from us? How hard it was to figure out who actually cared about us versus who just saw opportunity?"
“God, yes,” Becky enthused.
"Remember that summer between seasons two and three when we all went to that beach house in Malibu?" Doug continued, pointedly excluding Casper from the shared reminiscence. "You were so stressed about the new storylines, and we spent hours just walking on the beach practicing our lines."
"I remember," Willow said quietly, though Casper noticed she wasn't engaging with the same enthusiasm Doug seemed to expect.
"Those were good times," Becky added, seeming oblivious to Willow’s silence. "Before everything got so complicated with contracts and agents and all the business side of things."
Doug leaned forward, his attention focused on Willow. "You were always the smartest one among us. Even at fifteen, you could see through the BS better than any of the adults around us. That's why I've always known you'd be okay, no matter what life threw at you."
The pride in his voice was unmistakable, and Casper wondered exactly how protective Doug's feelings toward Willow actually were. Was this simply the affection of a former colleague who'd shared a unique experience, or was there something deeper and potentially more problematic?
When Willow and Becky excused themselves to visit the ladies' room, leaving the two men alone at the table, Doug's demeanor shifted immediately. The casual friendliness disappeared, replaced by something more assessing and direct.
"So," Doug said, his voice low enough that nearby tables couldn't overhear, "how serious are these security concerns? Should I be worried about her?"
Casper studied Doug's face, looking for any signs of deception or a hidden agenda, but he found only what appeared to be genuine concern. "I take her safety very seriously," Casper replied, deliberately keeping his answer vague while maintaining steady eye contact.
Doug nodded slowly, his expression growing more troubled. "She's always been too trusting, you know. Even as a kid, she wanted to see the best in everyone and give people the benefit of the doubt. It's one of the things that made her such a great actress… that genuine warmth and openness. But it also made her vulnerable to people who wanted to take advantage."
"You sound like you speak from experience."
"Riverside Highmade all of us, but as teenagers, we weren’t ready for the exposure," Doug said. "We looked after each other, and old habits die hard."
Casper leaned back in his chair, reassessing his initial suspicions about Doug's motivations. "You're saying you just want her to be safe."
"I'm saying she was one of the nicest, most genuine people in this whole toxic town." Doug's voice carried protectiveness. "If you're really looking out for her interests and not just doing a job, then we don't have a problem."
"I intend to make sure nothing happens to her," Casper said simply.
Doug opened his mouth to speak, but Willow and Becky returned to the table, and the atmosphere shifted. Doug's territorial edge had softened into something more like grudging acceptance, and Casper developed a clearer picture of the dynamics at play. Doug's protective instincts toward Willow appeared genuine, but the intensity of his feelings still made him someone worth monitoring.Add him to the list of all the other suspicious people we’ve met.
As they finished lunch and prepared to part ways, Casper waited as another round of hugs, well-wishes, and goodbyes were offered.
Along with the roses that morning, the web of potential threats was becoming increasingly complex, and Casper knew that identifying the real danger would require careful analysis of every interaction and relationship in her orbit.
22
As soon as the private charter plane left the California runway, Willow felt an immediate shift in her entire being. The familiar knot of anxiety that always accompanied takeoff was completely absent, replaced by nothing but profound relief as the sprawling city fell away beneath them. For the first time in years, she wasn't white-knuckling the armrests or fighting the urge to close her eyes until they reached cruising altitude. Having Casper's solid presence beside her seemed to have transformed her relationship with flying entirely.
She turned to find his dark eyes studying her with warm curiosity, and she realized her dramatic change in demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed.
"You're already more relaxed," he observed, his voice carrying genuine interest. "Why do you keep going back to LA if leaving feels like such a relief?"
